Page 45 of Tour Wars
“You think?” He was fully aware he’d crossed the line from needy to pathetic, but his ego could use the boost.
“I’m good at observing people. From where I stand, it’s pretty obvious.”
“Hey!” Emilia yelled at them. “Are you two goofballs going to stand around and stare at me, or are you coming in?”
“Sorry, Em.” TJ’s face was now a flaming inferno. To hide his discomfort, he shucked off his shirt, ran over to the pool, and plunged in. Seconds later, he popped out, shivering. The water wasnotheated at all. “Holy fuck! That was not what I expected.”
Emilia stood at the side, laughing. “You could have tested it first, but you had to be a big showoff.” She eased herself in using the pool stairs, gasping as the water hit her bare stomach.
At the sight of her nipples tightening under her bikini top, TJ looked away. Maybe the cold water was a blessing in disguise. Less chance of a hard-on.
Davis jumped in next to him, and Cesca joined them ten minutes later. Like Emilia, she was wearing a bikini that showed off her curves. This time, Davis was the one doing the ogling, which made TJ feel marginally less pathetic.
Once he got used to the chill, the cool water was deliciously refreshing. He swam a few laps, then floated on his back, looking up at the full moon. He couldn’t believe he was getting paid to do this. When Emilia swam toward him, he flipped over and dog-paddled next to her.
“Is this the best gig or what?” he said.
“It’s awesome. Dinner was unbelievable. Five courses? Three kinds of dessert? That’s the way to do Italy. And this pool is a sweet slice of heaven.” She gestured to Davis and Cesca, who were talking at the other end. “Think something’s brewing there?”
“Maybe. Seeing as how he’s not a part of her tour, there wouldn’t be a conflict of interest if he hooked up with her. Not like with you.”
She frowned. “With me? What makes you think there’s anything between me and Davis?”
Unnerved by the force of her glare, he stumbled over his words. “I…um…I didn’t say that. But he caught me staring at you. Then he agreed you look fantastic in a bikini and…” His face had heated to such a degree that he wanted to duck underwater to cool down. “Sorry if we were objectifying you, but we’re guys, and guys can be idiots. Anyway…I guess my jealousy came across, so he told me he wasn’t into you. Not because he finds you unattractive.”Fuck, he was messing this up so badly. “But because of the conflict-of-interest thing. And, um…I’m sorry. I’ll stop now.”
He dove underwater, which only worsened the situation because he got an eyeful of Emilia’s figure—her full breasts, her flat expanse of bare stomach, and her tanned thighs. When he emerged, gasping for breath, she hadn’t moved.
She stared him down, arms crossed. “Back up. Somewhere in that bout of verbal diarrhea, you admitted you were jealous of me and Davis. Did I get that right?”
“Um…yes. Sorry. I won’t do it again.”
A slow smile crept across her face. “Just wanted to check. Even if it wasn’t a conflict of interest, I’m not into Davis. He’s not my type.”
“What is your type?” The neediness in his voice was cringe-worthy. Maybe he should stay underwater for the next hour to save himself from any future humiliation.
She laughed. “Well…lately, I’ve been into nerdy, know-it-all archaeologists who can’t stop staring at me.”
He swallowed but didn’t look away. She’d all but admitted she was into him. That he wasn’t just projecting his own desire. When her smile widened, he longed to reach out and touch her. If Davis and Cesca hadn’t been at the other end of the pool, he would have kissed her, regardless of the rules.
He wasn’t just jealous. He was a fucking goner.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Emilia sat up in bed and flung off the covers. Over the past hour, she’d been trying to fall asleep and failing miserably. Bad enough that she’d spent the entire day battling exhaustion due to the previous night’s antics in the pool. She couldn’t make that mistake again, not when she had to wake up early tomorrow. In anticipation of their three-hour bus ride to Bari, she needed to have everyone checked out of the hotel and ready to go by eight. She’d gone up to bed at ten, hoping to get a decent night’s sleep, only to lie awake in torment.
When she’d agreed to do this tour, she’d thought the biggest issue would be the constant socialization. The need to be “on” for ten days straight. The possibility that she might have to let people in instead of holding them at arm’s length. But the tour wasn’t the issue keeping her up tonight. The issue was TJ.
When they’d gone swimming, she’d caught him looking. The old Emilia would have berated him for objectifying her. Instead, she’d enjoyed every minute of it. He’d looked at her with such transparent desire that she’d wanted to do more than just banter with him. If they’d been alone in the pool, she might have acted on her feelings. Pulled him closer, kissed him passionately, and delighted in the sensation of his bare skin pressed against hers. She was certain he’d felt the same way.
But even if they weren’t bound by the company’s rules, hooking up with him was a terrible idea.
Wasn’t it?
Or was it just what she needed to revive the old Emilia? The woman who’d had no qualms about expressing her sexuality. Who’d hooked up on digs for the sheer adrenaline rush of sneaky sex with someone she barely knew. Who’d never been consumed with regret or “what-ifs.” But after her painful experience with Vince, she wasn’t sure she could trust her own judgment.
Rather than spend another minute stewing in her room, she put on her flip-flops, grabbed her key card and phone, and headed outside. Tonight, they were staying near Paestum, at a luxury resort on the waterfront. She ambled down the boardwalk leading to the beach, inhaling the briny scent of the ocean. Above her, the night sky was clear, speckled with stars and a near-full moon. She took off her flip-flops and walked through the water, letting the waves lap at her ankles.
She needed to sort out her feelings for TJ, but she couldn’t do it on her own. She texted her friend Dusty, hoping she’d be available to talk. Over the course of the tour, they’d messaged each other off and on but had yet to make time for a phone call. And this was the kind of issue that couldn’t be resolved with a few texts.
